Journal of a new Alaskan gardener...

May 21, 2004

Okay, is there any sweeter smell than a row of tomatoes?

We have several flats inside the house that we started from seed, waiting to be set out. Occasional I walk over them and lightly brush my hands across the top of them. According to James Harvey (HGTV) this "aggravating" of them will kind of stunt their growth, but make their stalks thicken, so they will be stronger. Go figure...

I remember my Grandma fussing because us kids would use a particular tree for "base" for our games and she was afraid all the running and grabbing at it would damage it. But Grandpa would tell her not to worry, 'cause it would make it grow better.

All I know is the tree is HUGE now and still being used by the latest generation of kids in our neighborhood.

Anyway-James Harvey even suggested that if you're planting a new tree, that for the first couple of months after getting it into the hole that you make a daily trip to visit it and while there, take a stick and do a light tap tap tapping up and down the trunk.

I know, it sounds goofy. But us gardeners, you know we'll do anything if it means it'll help our plants, so there you find us that spring at our cabin in the woods, out in the yard, with a stick, stealthily tap tap tapping on our little Maple that CH brought in from the forest.

"You know, C.H., our neighbors are going to think we've lost it," I tell my husband as I try to pretend I'm not with him, as he's standing there tapping our tree and I'm picking spent blooms off my honeysuckle.

He ignored me and kept on tapping up and down the trunk. Well, I must say that the tree that started at about 5 feet three years ago is about 8 now and still growing. I wonder if it misses the daily love taps since we've come back to Alaska? Maybe I should send a note down to our renters and tell them that one of the requirements of renting the cabin is supplying daily love taps to our Maple...

See yah next time the mood to write hits me....

Keep gardening.... Sharon